US Revolver Co

My wife's grandfather recently passed away. It turns out that I have the only gun safe in the family, so all of his guns have been temporarily given to me while the grandmother decides what to do with them. I have made an offer to pay her a fair value for them, so that they stay in the family. There is a chance that she will just give them to me, but I want the situation to be fair.

The only revolver is a US Revolver Co 5 shot. .38 S&W, break top with a 3" - 3.5" barrel. There is a serial number on the bottom of the trigger guard (58898), but no other markings beside the brand. The only way I know it is .38 S&W is that there were several old cartridges in the box with the revolver.

If memory serves me correctly, US Revolver Co was the "cheap" brand of Iver Johnson, so I suppose I do not have a real high dollar gun. I am simply trying to find out a little more about it.

One last detail: when the hammer is pulled all the way back, there is a little slop in the cylinder. I am trying to get an accurate measurement, but I was wondering how tight these were to begin with. I am not sure when it was last shot, but my father in law remembers it being used to shoot small game when he was a kid.

",,,,,if the grip frame serial number on this revolver is the same as the one on the trigger guard and does not have a letter code the manufacture date would be 1912 and if it is the same with the letter code "B" the manufacture date would be 1921. if the numbers don't match or the letter code is not a "B" then futher study is needed to identify."

rogertc1

November 29, 2010, 06:16 AM

here is one on GunBroker
http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/203428000/203428337/pix162172851.jpg
Top break revolver by U.S. Revolver Co. 5-shot 38 cal. One of the better made revolers of the period. Black powder pressure cartridge. Double action, cycle, cylinder indexes and locks up when cocked, spins freely when uncocked. Nickel plating is gone in some spots. Original grips have chips.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=203428337

whitecoyote

November 30, 2010, 12:55 AM

Here is a U.S. Revolver. It was given to me a few years ago w/holster.
I don't know to much about them, but from what I understand they were made by Iver Johnson(?)
http://i52.tinypic.com/23h6m2s.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/de924z.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/qsqxp4.jpg